The "International Conference on Health Policy Research (ICHPR): Methodological Issues in Health Services and Outcomes Research," is a scientific conference that focuses on the interface between research methodology and health policy. Its specific aim is to create an interface for methodologists and sophisticated health service researchers to exchange and build upon ideas, discuss research needs, and develop solutions to methodological challenges. The conference is sponsored by the Health Policy Statistics Section (HPSS) of the American Statistical Association. Technical areas featured in the Invited program include hierarchical models, imputation strategies, risk adjustment for skewed data, casual inference with longitudinal data, techniques for inferring disparities, development of population needs-based funding models, instrumental-variable and propensity-score techniques, and combining multiple data sources. Techniques will be illustrated across a variety of substantive areas, including drug monitoring, predicting high-cost users, anthrax vaccine effectiveness, racial disparities, mental illness, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and cancer. Databases featured in presentations will include the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, and the HCAHPS hospital satisfaction survey. Funding will be used to help offset some of the conference costs and reduce the financial barrier to facilitate broader participation in the conference.